A representative image display panel is exemplified by liquid crystal display (LCD). The liquid crystal display is a thin and easily damaged display component consisting of transparent electrodes, a liquid crystal cell having a liquid crystal charged and sealed via a gap of few microns between glass substrates of about 1 mm in thickness with a pixel pattern etc. formed thereon, and an optical film or the like (for example, a polarization plate) stuck to both external sides of the cell. Particularly for use in cell phones, game machines, digital cameras, and in-car products, therefore, a liquid crystal display having a structure wherein a transparent front plate (protective panel) is arranged with a predetermined space in front of the liquid crystal display is generally used.
Large liquid crystal displays prevailing at present are those wherein the surface of a front polarization plate for liquid crystal panel has been subjected to antiglare (AG) treatment for reflection reduction. In the case of this structure, no measure is taken for impact absorption, and impact resistance is given by a structure of the whole of a panel and a set. The problem of this structure is that an image seems blurred by AG treatment, the panel is warped upon touching the surface, to disorder an image, stains are hardly removed due to AG treatment, and upon strong rubbing, flaws are easily caused, and also that as the size of a panel will be increasing in future, the impact resistance of the panel would be reduced to be problematic in impact resistance.
Accordingly, it is conceivable that a front plate subjected to antireflection (AR) treatment is placed in front of a liquid crystal panel, to overcome disadvantages originating from AG treatment. In this case, however, a reduction in transmittance and a deterioration in image quality due to ghost image would be caused when air exists the space between the front plate and the liquid crystal panel, so filling the space with a resin etc. has been proposed (Patent Documents 1, 2, 3 and 4).
It is determined under UL standards, the Radio Wave Control Act, etc. that a cathode ray tube (CRT) made of glass, when used in an image display device (display) (including a television), be free of scattering or not liable to penetration in an impact resistance test with a dropping steel ball.
Accordingly, to implement this standard, the glass of CRT should be designed to be thick, which results in an increase in the weight of CRT. As a means of conferring antiscattering property without increasing the thickness of the glass, a method of laminating a self-restoring, synthetic resin protective film on the glass has been proposed (see Patent Documents 5 and 6). This proposal is characterized by antiscattering property, but does not meet prevention of glass breakage.
On the other hand, PDP that is one kind of flat panel display (FPD) is provided via an about 1 to 5 mm space with a front plate (e.g., glass) of about 3 mm in thickness in front (viewable side) of PDP in order to prevent breakage. Accordingly, the area of the front plate increases with an increasing size of PDP, thus increasing the weight of PDP.
Accordingly, it has been proposed for prevention of breakage of an image display device (display) that a specific resin is laminated on the surface of the display, or an optical filter having a specific resin laminated thereon is laminated on the surface of the display (see Patent Documents 7, 8 and 9).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 05-011239    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 03-204616    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 06-59253    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2004-125868    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 06-333515    Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 06-333517    Patent Document 7: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2004-58376    Patent Document 8: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2005-107199    Patent Document 9: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2004-263084